He used the power of the Laughing Sorceress—just a little—to alter the space and turn the guards into nothingness.
Then he climbed the steps to the iron platform where the Weeping Widow stood. She took a few helpless steps back. Behind her, computer monitors ran streams of data.
"Only one question," the Cursed said, approaching. "Why did you create all these laboratories and factories? Why did you breed so many degenerates and monsters?"
"Dead—dead, it's the end for all. He wants to know too much, all at once," said the Widow. Her cane with a yellow metal tip struck the Cursed's armor several times. Weak, worthless blows from a capricious creature whose end had come. In rage, he grabbed the cane, broke it, and threw the fragments aside. They fell into a steaming cauldron below.
The Weeping Widow pressed against the computer desk behind her and stopped.
"Dead—dead star, I only wanted to rule this Kingdom. Then to rule this planet."
The Cursed tore off her mask and recoiled in horror. She had no face. Or rather, it had been melted by an unknown substance. Skin, eyelids, nose, lips had sagged downward like streams of a terrible liquid. In place of nose and mouth, black holes. Huge bulging eyes stared at him with madness and hunger.
"So that's why they call you the Weeping Widow."
"Sick—sick, hopeless. He still caused us problems."
He grabbed her by the neck and threw her down like a cursed doll. She fell silently, as if she had long realized her fate. A short splash of green toxic liquid marked her end.
The Cursed turned to the computers on the desk. A red message appeared on the monitors:
"Contact established. Subgroup Zeta. Gray humanoids. The Large Gray Cloud of near space is calling the Weeping Widow. Respond."
The Cursed formed a sword in his hand and destroyed the computers and monitors with it.
At dawn, the secret gates of the Palace opened, and a man with short black hair and a black beard rode out on horseback. He crossed the scorched plain and headed north. Now he knew the passage to the next region was secured.